The Card Sprite
by Kestrel4
Summary: NEW CHAPTER! The summary was too long, but it will be back inside, once I update Ch. 1. This particular card sprite figures she'll bend the rules and help Yugi as best she can in Duelist Kingdom, trials to come, and life in general... I sux at summaries.
1. Rekishi Tsuku Zenbu no Maru

The Card Sprite … Chapter One

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Rekishi Tsuku Zenbu no Maru … History Comes Full Circle

Over five ages ago, a single soul became trapped within a golden pyramid. In doing so, he so trapped six other forms of power in six other golden objects and thus protected the world from being overshadowed by evil. Monsters that had once been part of a deadly game, fought for power by ancient sorcerers, were locked away in a mysterious realm, and the struggle for the ancient power had all but been forgotten. The tale went from news, to gossip, to rumor, to legend, to myth, to memory.

The items have been recovered and the power unleashed. The evil has once again risen. And spirits that once aided the sorcerers in those age-old games of power will now aid the ones who fight in this present age. They are the _toranpu yosei_, the card sprites. This is the tale of one of their own, a sprite who must forsake her wandering nature and stay with one individual. For in doing so, she may aid that individual in overthrowing the looming shadow once more…

*****

Kioku heard footsteps in the corridor outside her chamber. _At last, he returns,_ she thought. She smiled wryly to herself at the thought of her master's deep eyes, his tanned, lean build and his ways with the magic. _Had he not saved my life back when I had one, I would not still be here_, she thought grimly. _But as fate would have it, I am bound to him like the rest of my kind._

Upon opening the door, however, she found not her master but a man sprawled on the floor. He wore a red suit and his silver shoulder-length hair was tousled and dirty. He struggled to his feet, and when he finally raised his eyes to hers she found herself staring at a Millennium item.

"Tell me," Pegasus rasped, "where the Guardian of the items is. I must speak with him!"

With that statement, Maximillian Pegasus collapsed at Kioku's feet.

She sighed and with a wave of her hand transported the man back to his own home and bed. Her master was not there, and wherever he was, he could not be bothered.

*****

Pegasus awoke in his own bed and swore. "That woman must have spirited me back here, so I wouldn't find that Egyptian nuisance! Well, if I can't find him and the rest of the items myself, I'll have the items come to me! I'll re-create that game they played all those ages ago, the game of power.And a few years after it's become popular I'll have a tournament for all the best duelists! Oh, the items will come to me, all right- and perhaps even a few duelists after my own heart as well!" He laughed at this new prospect and then he hopped out of bed, feeling completely rejuvenated. _I almost feel like I want to paint again_, he thought, amazed. _Cecilia, I am finally getting closer to holding you in my arms once more!_

*** A Few Years Later ***

Kioku dressed quickly in a simple homespun cotton gown, with a belt of russet leather and sandals of the same. She plaited her hair into a long braid and then with another wave and some muttered words, transported herself to Japan.

She found it very different from Egypt; the climate was favorable and the language was more poetic. She sat upon a bench and cast her presence about to try and find this boy her master had insisted she observe. At last she found him in a school not far from where she sat.

Kioku stood and instead of waving her hand decided to walk to the school, enjoying the lovely day. _If this boy is the holder of the Sennen puzzle, _she mused_, then he must have some hidden strength or tie to the ancient world one cannot see from without. For the puzzle will only go to one with the same attributes as the Pharaoh himself. _

*****

"Yugi- maybe your grandpa could teach me how to beat ya at Duel Monsters! He taught you, and if I know how ta duel like you, then maybe I could figure out yer strategies."

"I don't know, Joey- grandpa is very stern and a hard teacher when it comes to Duel Monsters. But if you really think you're up to it..."

Joey punched the air. "I'm ready! I'll be the greatest Duelist ever!"

Yugi smiled at his friend's elation. "Lemme take a look at your deck, Joey," Yugi said.

"Sure!" Joey handed it over with a flourish. "Whaddaya think?"

Yugi's eyes widened as he flipped through Joey's deck. "But Joey- there's nothing but monster cards in here!"

Joey leaned back proudly. "Yep, you betcha. I loaded it with all the tough monsters I could find!"

Yugi's face crinkled in shock and concern. "But Joey, Duel Monsters isn't just about having strong monsters! You use magic and trap cards to strengthen your monster and to surprise your opponent, keep him on his toes! If your deck is full of nothing but monsters then there's nothing you can do to better the ones you already have."

Joey looked crestfallen. "I guess I really do need your grandpa to teach me, huh, Yug'?

"Yugi Moto!"

Yugi grimaced and then turned to face his English teacher. She bore down on him like a bull upon a matador. He braced himself for impact—

"I'd like to congratulate you on your idioms paper, full marks! I expect you to follow in his example, Wheeler-san!"

Joey had barely stammered out a "Yes, Little-san!" when the teacher turned on her heel and stalked off.

Yugi laughed a small, relieved sound. Joey joined him in the laughter, and then in walking towards the picnic tables where many duelists liked to compete.

Kioku watched them go. She smiled at their differences, and the fact that they were still best friends despite how different they were. Joey was headstrong and had bullied many of the people at the school before he met the other boy. She watched Yugi through narrowed eyes, however. Tomorrow, when she made her entrance, she would see if the boy were indeed worthy to be the vessel of the Pharaoh.


	2. Hajime no hitotsu no Domei

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Hajime no hitotsu no Domei The Beginning of an Alliance

Yugi left school that day feeling mysterious and like the hand of fate was upon him. He kept such thoughts to himself, because he knew that if he voiced them that Joey would try to shake reality back into him. The fact of the matter is, whatever Yugi was feeling, he was feeling the weight of 5,000 years of power on his young shoulders. He was feeling the presence of Kioku. The Millennium Item he possessed was attuned to such power and reacted within the young man's emotions. Thus, Yugi was unconsciously feeling what his _yami_ felt every day. Age in the form of youth, an ancient presence in the body of a child.

Kioku knew he felt her presence, and by her nature wanted to flee. She was a wanderer, one who does not relish being known. However her duty, to her master and this world, said different. By her word she was bound, and by her word she'd stay.

This boy was about to be offered something he would not be able to refuse. An invitation to a magnificent Duel Monsters tournament, a veritable Kingdom reserved for the best of the best. And the boy was truly worthy of such an honor. But first a great price would be paid at the young man's expense to ensure his participation in this 'honor'.

Yugi took a deep breath and smiled slightly before starting down the stairs. The front of the school was lit by the setting sun and in such light his tri-colored hair looked like a dancing flame. Kioku smiled slightly at this.

Yugi heard soemone running to catch up with him and by instinct he was poised to run as well. But the tall blonde boy who soon joined him was no threat. A bit annoying sometimes, but no threat.

Joey grinned at his petite friend. "Thanks for yer advice, Yug'. I might jus' be able ta win at Duel Monsters if ya Gran'pa teaches me!"

Yugi laughed at Joey's child-like eagerness. "All right, Joey," he choked. "Why not come down to the game shop right now?"

As she watched from behind a tree, Kioku, too, had to stifle a giggle at Joey. He was practically bouncing as he and Yugi made their way down the street.

She then turned and made ready to follow them, but a ripple of pain shook its way through her body. Cramps and crippling pains forced her through the ground, and it was through agony-clenched teeth that she muttered the incantation.

Kioku felt her body turn to mist, and with the fading from body to spirit she felt the pain also fade.

She flitted towards the two boys. She meant to go into Joey; the blonde had no other spirit and besides, he could use a little help in dueling. But a strong sense of need enveloped her, and suddenly she was sitting, winded, in a hallway. On one side of the hallway was a door with a crack of light streaming from it. She gently pushed it open and there she found the essence of little Yugi's mind, happily playing with some building blocks. Such innocence, she thought. How refreshing it is to find such innocence as this in this world.

She backed out of the doorway slowly, closing the door so that Yugi would not be disturbed by her presence. She sighed, smiling warmly at the thought of the child within, then turned around.

All traces of happiness fled Kioku's face. She was facing a dark door, overgrown with vines and bearing the symbol of the Pharaoh who had sealed the powers within the Items. She remembered little Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. Is this the chamber of the spirit inhabiting the Puzzle?

Almost in response to her unspoken query, the door creaked open.

A man, who by all appearences could have been Yugi himself, glanced up from what he was doing in shock and surprise.

"How have you come to enter this mind?" He demanded as he stood and then strode towards her. "And how did you manage to do it without my knowlege?

Kioku blinked in surprise. _He just admitted weakness?_ She thought. _This cannot be _the_ Pharaoh, then._

She took a step forward, which carried her over the threshold and nearly into his arms. Neither entity missed the proximity. She smiled inwardly at how he didn't even blink.

"What are you named?" They coldly asked one another simultaneously.

Kioku was about to answer (she saw it doing no harm) when a young voice came from behind her. "Spirit? Are you in there? I hear voices—"

And the heavy door swung open, leaving Kioku face to face with the essence of little Yugi's mind.

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Read and review! That's the drill. I got one review for the first chapter, count them uno. And I'm pretty sure she was just being nice.

Flames will be used for the burnt sacrifices on New Year's Eve. I'm hoping one of them will be Pegasus, 'cause I just plain don't like him. The others will most likely include: Bones, Bandit Keith, Rex Raptor, Weevil Underwood, and Kemo. All the lowlifes. If I forgot any, let me know so I can add them to the roster *evil chuckle*.

All: ^_^° *sweatdrop*


	3. Nanika Atarashii

Ch. 3: _Nanika Atarashii_ ... Something New

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, Kioku would replace Tea and the series would get more Ancient Egyptian destiny, and not all that friendship jazz. For those of you who liked that stuff, it was okay the first... once. After about the twelfth time, I started burning Tea dolls in a compost heap. Okay, not really, but you get the idea of how annoyed I was.

A/N: Sennen Items are the Millennium Items. Have you any idea how much easier 'Sennen' is to type than 'Millennium'?

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The boy's eyes widened in surprise, but, Kioku noted, not with fear as others' had before him. 

"What are you doing in here?" He demanded of her. "How did you get in? What's going on, spirit?"

The spirit of Yugi's Puzzle tried to slide around Kioku, but she blocked his way. 

"I am sorry, little Yugi," she said. "I did not mean to startle you. I did not mean to enter your mind at all."

Yugi's brow crinkled. "Then why did you?"

Kioku studied him for a moment, apparently lost in thought, then answered slowly, "I'm... not sure. I was actually aiming for your friend Joey— he could use all the help one could give him— but some strong energy pulled him into your mind instead." She turned slightly to scrutinize the spirit behind her. "A strong sense of need."

The spirit didn't bat an eye.

Turning back to Yugi, she said, "I am again sorry, little master."

__

Little master? Yugi wondered, but voiced a different query. "What did you mean by, you were aiming for Joey?"

Kioku smiled slightly. "That is my life, Yugi. I am a _torapu yosei_, a card sprite."

This explanation only further confused the boy, but Yugi didn't miss the slight widening of recognition in the Puzzle's spirit's eyes. Yugi decided to ask him later.

"I will leave you now," Kioku said, and sailed out of his mind before either could protest. She landed roughly, in her human form, on the pavement a block away. She landed right at someone's feet, and he tripped over her before she could roll away.

The contact made them both gasp, for both felt the close proximity of the other's Sennen (Millennium) Items. Kioku's was honorary, merely aiding her in solidifying her energies into a human form, but the Pharaoh who created the seven Sennen Items had created it as well.

The young man, as he gazed at her, seemed to narrow his eyes, but as they both stood Kioku realized that he'd undergone a Sennen transformation and that she was facing a different person altogether.

"For once," he growled happily, "I can bless my vessel's clumsiness instead of curse it."

"Not that a tomb robber would care one way or another," Kioku remarked, throwing into the conversation the first piece of information she could snatch from his surprisingly dark mind. _I was one once, you know_, she silently added. _They really don't care about much but their gold._ The white-haired young man laughed, a rasping sound devoid of humor.

"So you know me, do you?" He said in reply. Kioku nodded stiffly. Lies were a waste of time, but in some cases necessary. She'd lie circles around this fool if she had to, in order to remain pleasantly anonymous in his mind. 

He stuck his hands in his pockets and cocked his white-maned head to the side. "Well it's funny, because I don't know _you_, and I _never_ forget a pretty face."

Kioku snarled at his tone and muttered her spirit incantation. The man turned away from her fading form, chuckling darkly, but not before she caught a glimpse of the Millenium Ring hanging against his chest.

__

So that's where it got to, Kioku thought, amused. Shadi would be most intrigued as to how a tomb robber became a Sennen power.

"Grandpa?" Yugi called from the stairs. His grandfather's voice sounded faintly from the game shop, and so Yugi padded down the stairs and into the shop. 

His sock-clad feet swished against the carpeted floor. Mr. Moto turned at the sound of light footfalls and grinned at his grandson. "What do you think?" He asked Yugi proudly, indicating the poster he'd just finished hanging.

"Oh!" Yugi exclaimed happily. It was a 16 by 24 wall hanging of the Dark Magician, battling a fearsome Blue Eyes White Dragon with his dark magic attack.

He turned back to where his Grandpa was wiping down the counter. Yugi's eyes shone. "It's wonderful!" He cried.

Mr. Moto smiled. "So, you rascal, was there something you needed?"

"Oh... that. Yes," Yugi replied, his angelic features becoming solemn.

"Grandpa— what is a card sprite?"

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Please review! Thanks to:

CaterFree10

Angel Reaper

Jadesaber

For the reviews! It means a lot to me, guys, thanks again!


	4. Hitotsu no Chiisai Rei Mondai

Ch. 4: _Hitotsu no Chiisai Rei Mondai_ ... A Small Spirit Problem

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh. *cries* But I wanna!

A/N: I'm going to call Mr. Moto just plain ol' Grandpa in this chappie 'cause it's easy on poor lil me.

And even though at this point in the season Yami doesn't know his own name yet, for the sake of easiness, I'm going to call him Yami. It's shorter than 'the spirit of Yugi's Puzzle'.

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Grandpa chuckled, his sagacious eyes twinkling. "What, doesn't that all powerful spirit of the puzzle know?"

Yugi looked troubled, and Grandpa immediately regretted having made the joke. "I think he does, but he's locked himself away inside that soul room of his. I can't ask him."

Grandpa flicked off the shop lights and, walking into the kitchen, sat down at the table. Yugi sat across from him, leaning over the table in anticipation.

"A card sprite, Yugi, is simply that— a spirit of the cards."

Yugi frowned. "Like a Duel Monster come to life?" _She didn't like like any Duel Monster _I've_ ever seen._

"No," Grandpa replied. "A card sprite is a wandering spirit who goes into random duelists' decks and aids them to victory. Like the spirit of your Millennium puzzle, Yugi. However, card sprites are roaming spirits and cannot be contained in anything, by any magic. They go where they please and help whomever they choose. They take no sides. Some say the sprites do it for fun. Others speculate that they are duty bound, by tradition or perhaps something more, to aid duelists for as long as the game exists."

Then he smiled. "Of course, card sprites are only myths, because no one has ever been able to prove their existence outside of the person they aided. And hearing voices in your head is not a good sign, so most keep quiet about it if it ever happens."

"So she _is_ like the spirit of my puzzle!" Yugi cried, not even intending to say it aloud.

//Yugi!// The spirit shouted. //The less people who know about her, the better. I sense great forces at work here.//

"She?" Grandpa asked, his gaze suddenly intense. "Is there something you've not told me, Yugi?"

Under the heat of both his grandfather's stare and the spirit's silence, Yugi meekly shook his head. "No, sir."

Grandpa sighed.

The next day at school, Yugi couldn't stop thinking about the woman— no, the _sprite_— he'd found in the soul room. What had the two spirits been doing in that dark, dank room behind the closed door?

_And why do I care?_ Yugi asked himself crossly, sliding into his desk and nodding absentmindedly to Ryou Bakura's cheerful hello.

"Class," the teacher began in the nasal whine that might resemble a voice— if one was drunk. And had nothing better to do than listen to her.

Yugi automatically tuned her out, but looked up sharply when all the young men in the class began whistling low.

The stony eyed girl standing by the teacher regarded them as one might a senseless wretch: poor, helpless, things. Such a pity I'm tramping all over them.

Yugi saw that look in her eye and knew at once that it was a shield. She's hiding something, Yugi thought. But she can't possibly be afraid of showing her humanity?

He inwardly gasped as someone strong shoved his mind's essence into his soul room and locked the door. He felt the spirit of his puzzle take over, but he couldn't connect their minds. He sank to the floor, his back to the wall, tears brimming in his eyes. Never before had he felt so alone.

Yami stood, and walked quickly up the aisle to take the girl by the arm. He was not rough, but she gasped when they touched. A golden flash echoed somewhere in the depths of his mind, but he ignored it.

The teacher tried to intercept them, but Yami swept past her and out into the hallway. Jamming the door closed with his foot, he held the girl by her shoulders. She was pressed between he and the wall.

"I know what you are," Yami said in hushed tones, "but I do not know what you want with Yugi and his friends. I suggest you tell me, and quickly."

To his surprise, she laughed lightly. "Truly, you are not a force to be reckoned with." Then all traces of humor left her face as she continued. "My name is not important right now. My master has sent me to... _observe_ the boy whose vessel you share."

Yami tightened his grip on her shoulders. "If your purpose is merely to observe, then why did you intrude into my soul room?"

She gazed unflinchingly into his eyes, mahogany meeting amethyst. "I told you once before: a strong sense of need emanated from one of the two minds. Which, I cannot be certain. Then before I could even speculate upon it, I was drawn into the hallway between minds."

"So basically..."

"Basically?" She lifted her chin slightly. "Basically I have no idea as to why it happened."

She brought her hands up to rest on her shoulders. To Yami now it was unclear as to who held whom captive. Her eyes seemed to gaze directly into his wildly beating heart. Yami suddenly felt unsure.

_What am I dealing with?_

She spoke. "Ponder this if you will, o Sennen spirit: from whose mind did the sense of need come? And why?"

She cupped his face in her hands and brought his lips to rest on her own. Then she ducked under his arms and back inside the room.

Yami had no choice but to follow her. He let Yugi's essence out of the locked soul room, but disappeared into his own soul room before Yugi could even speak.

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Ooh, you like? I like! You review.

I tired, I go bed now.

Nighty night!

*O* (big yawn)


	5. Yori oi Hitotsu no Nazo

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Yori oi Hitotsu no Nazo ... More Pieces of the Puzzle

A/N: Finally, I get the stupid chapter up! Yippy skip. Well, this is certainly getting interesting!

Read and review! 

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Kioku ignored the raucous howls of the men in the room. Yami ducked back inside as well, a crimson flush highlighting his tanned cheeks. Kioku smiled a secretive little half smile when some of the men began congratulating 'Yugi'.

"Way to go, Yug'! Joey Wheeler called. Yami shot him a death glare but the blonde youth just laughed.

Seto Kaiba, only once the entire class looking up from the papers in his briefcase, allowed his eyes to briefly roam over her body before meeting her eyes, flushing, and looking away.

Kioku took her seat in the back of the room, and only then did she notice Bakura next to her. She tensed, waiting for the white-haired youth to leer at her like he did before, but he only smiled shyly.

"Er, my name's Ryou," he offered in a sweet English accent, sounding nothing like the evil-eyed man she'd thought he was. _Must have been a different person_, she thought, smiling and taking the proffered hand.

"I am Kioku," she answered, and suddenly felt as shy as he looked. What was this new feeling? It was nothing like she'd thought she felt towards that Sennen spirit, Yami.

The teacher was talking again, but neither cared the slightest bit. Ryou couldn't tear his eyes away from this stony eyed newcomer. He felt drawn to her, somehow, but before he could speak the spirit took over.

His eyes widened in horror and he started, nearly falling out of his desk. His neatly buttoned coat became open, with the white shirt underneath undone as well to reveal a pale, muscular chest. With narrower eyes and longer hair, the spirit reasserted himself in the desk. Kioku, having seen one then the other, could now tell them apart. Staring straight ahead, she spoke. 

"Give the boy control of his body before I take control of it for you."

The white-maned spirit shot her a calculating look before departing, and Ryou sighed in relief. He turned to Kioku.

"Thank you. Oh, and sorry about the other day, as you can see I don't have much control."

Kioku's eyes were slightly narrowed in anger. She simply nodded, the bell's loud ring preventing her from saying more. 

Yami wandered the halls of the school, lost in his own deep thoughts. He wasn't sure that he knew how to handle the situation, not after being introduced to a whole new array of emotions when Kioku's lips touched his. He knew that he couldn't make her love him, and he also knew that the kiss had not been out of love but out of warning. But he also knew that he hadn't felt like this since... for a long time.

There had been slaves, during his time as Pharaoh, who were raised to be a his disposal. For serving and... other things. But he'd used them, not really caring about what he did. And he certainly never loved them!

But there had been one woman he'd found a small space in his heart for. He'd never learned her name. She was an exotic dancer in his court, and when she danced, her eyes seemed to gaze into his very soul. He had longed for the day when he could have those eyes all to himself. 

However, every time he'd tried to get her alone, every time he'd sent for her, there was something else more pressing that needed doing. Something that kept him from her. So he'd come to realize that it wasn't meant to be.

She'd disappeared about a year before the battle during which his spirit had been imprisoned in the Millennium puzzle. And he'd remembered her for those five long millennia.

He stopped at a water fountain and succeeded only in getting wet. He saw something of that dancer in this card sprite, as she called herself. And while Yugi thought the words 'card sprite' had sparked a sense of recognition in Yami, the truth had it that the Pharaoh had no idea what one of those was. The recognition had spawned from the sad smile on Kioku's face; it mirrored that of the dancer Yami had never forgotten.

_But if it is her_, Yami mused, _then how did she become a spirit, like me?_

Ryou walked home that day, seeing the beautiful weather and deciding to enjoy it instead of riding the bus. One such disgusting vehicle passed him, and stopped at the next crossroads. It screeched to a halt quite erratically, as though a giant hand took hold of it and held it still while it thrashed. The doors whooshed open as Ryou passed, and Kioku joined him.

Neither spoke. They passed a movie theater, a park with children screaming in delight and dogs barking after sticks, a toy shop with dolls and planes in the windows. Kioku's gaze remained straight ahead as she walked coolly past, but Ryou couldn't stop looking around. He suddenly found everything exquisite in its own design, and gazed about with a slightly nostalgic smile on his face. Kioku caught a thought from his open mind; _before the demon... all this was commonplace. But now..._

"He beats you?" Kioku remarked; she could have been asking about the weather. Ryou flushed, crimson accenting alabaster. He nodded silently, and Kioku stopped. 

"Why do you withstand such torture?" She asked fervently, her mahogany eyes shining. _Not how,_ Ryou noticed with conflicting emotions. _She must think she knows I'm strong enough to take it._ He didn't bother telling her that he usually broke down into helpless tears and didn't bother to block his assailant's fists.

Ryou studied her shoes, sandals of Egyptian design. "I don't."

Her tanned fingers rested beneath his chin, lifting his eyes to hers. "But you do," she said, softly. "You are withstanding it even now."

The demon took control then, grabbing and twisting her arm to throw her to the pavement. "He withstands nothing," Bakura growled. "He lets me do whatever I wish to his pathetic form, and cries before I've even begun."

Kioku's stony eyes again regarded his very soul. "And yet— you think he's the most beautiful thing you've ever seen."

Bakura's eyes widened. "I've seen a lot of beautiful things in my life..."

Ryou snatched control briefly. His wide brown eyes called out to her in a way that his beautifully accented voice never could. _Run!_

Bakura made a grab for her, but she was already down the street. She swiped angrily at tears she didn't want to fall, and, not looking or caring where she was going, she tripped. She cried out and fell—

Straight into the arms of a certain love struck Pharaoh.

Kioku wasn't sure whether or not she'd hit her head. _This feels like a dream; haven't I seen him somewhere before? And I don't mean the school, or the little youth's mind— I mean somewhere exotic, long ago..._

She breathed in deeply to try and clear her head, and the faint Egyptian spice which haunted Yami's person brought with it an even fainter memory. A powerful young ruler, gazing at her like no one ever had before: not with lust, but with genuine...

_Love?_

Yami cleared his throat a bit nervously; she realized she'd been laying in his arms, gazing into his amethyst eyes. Those eyes were now clouded in concern.

"Are you all right?"

The memory, what snatches of it she had, had brought even more mystery and doubt into her mind then before. Her eyes troubled, she shook her head a little and tore herself from his embrace.

Yami tried to grab her hand, but when their fingers touched a golden flash burst in the back of his mind. He let her go and staggered, his mind reeling. A single memory was burned into him that day: a powerful young ruler, gazing at a lone dancer as though he could never look away...

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Talk about plot twists! I'll try to get the next chapter up soon but with school staring back up next week it'll be harder for me to find time to write.

Oh, yeh. Readers: If there were a Master of card sprites, who would you want it to be and why? Must be a character from the series and you gotta have a good reason. I know I already said Shadi, but a question came up and I might change that. So read, review, and let me know!

Oh, yeh. Flames will be used to burn icky ol' Bandit Keith, cause he's nasssssty.


	6. Itsu hitatsu no Rei Iku mo Mata Toi

The Card Sprite ... Chapter Six

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Itsu hitatsu no Rei Iku mo Mata Toi ... When a Spirit Goes Too Far

Kioku ran, shoving people, things, and air out of her way. She was blinded by her tears and so was not able to see Bakura well enough to get away from him in time.

Only it wasn't Bakura, it was Ryou. And looking at him then, with her tears wiped from her eyes with his tattered sleeve, she knew something was terribly wrong. His eyes were filled with a fierce longing, and his arms hung uselessly at his sides. His clothes, tattered and bloodstained, fluttered in the soft afternoon breeze, and an ugly mass of bruises was spreading on his pale face. His Sennen Ring was gone.

Kioku stood looking at him, unsure. _Why did he come to _me_ for help? He barely knows me. And besides..._

Ryou's brown eyes rolled up into his head as she stood thinking. She was quick to catch him when he fell.

_O powers that were vested in me, take me to this beating's scene!_

She and Ryou were instantly in front of a house that looked as though it had seen better days. The shutters were weather stained and broken, the door hung crazily, half-open on rusty hinges, and the windows were cracked and gaping like the eyes of a soulless being. The houses to the right and left looked as though they'd been picked from a magazine photograph. Kioku wondered if the neighbors knew something she didn't. Ryou was still a broken bundle in her arms, and at last she knew why he'd come to her.

There _was_ no one else.

She nudged the door open, tentatively, her stony eyes searching in vain for Bakura. As her eyes raked the large room, Kioku's nose wrinkled in disgust. Furniture that once had been whole and fairly lovely was reduced to broken piles of cinders and scorched cloth. Some looked as though an enormous animal had ripped them apart with its teeth. Holes big enough for an entire person were found in all the walls. Propping Ryou up against a fairly whole wall, Kioku again surveyed the damage to his frail young form. _Perhaps _that's_ how he got so many gashes,_ Kioku mused. _Surprisingly though, nothing's broken._

Ryou came to with a gasp. "Why did you bring me back here?"

Kioku knelt in front of the nearly frantic youth, cupping his cheek in her hand as his wild eyes searched hers. "It's all right," she said soothingly, "I checked. He's gone."

"No," Ryou screamed, panicked, "He's everywhere!"

And he fainted again. Kioku felt a strong push on her mind, and turned just in time to see a frenzied Bakura launch himself at her. 

With a motion of her hand, she created a shadow shield around herself and Ryou. The dark spirit of the Ring bounced off, but then he reached at her slower and his strong pale hand grasped her throat.

She staggered back against the wall, his hand cutting off her breath. Ryou had begun crawling towards the door, but had lost consciousness halfway out. 

Kioku's eyes snapped up to meet Bakura's; fierce mahogany against cruel chocolate. 

She might have asked a question, she might have screamed, she might have hissed a curse into his pale ear.

She might have... but couldn't, for Bakura, still holding her throat, drew close and pressed his lips to hers. He held her against the wall, preventing any struggle. She snapped her fingers together and disappeared, reappearing several feet away. They were both breathing heavily.

A dangerous, seductive glint appeared in his eyes. "If you could do that," he growled with a small smile, "then why are you still here?"

Kioku's eyes cut his cocky attitude to ribbons. "I'm not leaving without Ryou."

A dark eyebrow slid upwards. "You— and my hikari?"

Kioku flipped him a wry half-smile. "Does that bother you?"

Snarling, Bakura turned away and stalked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him so hard it fell off its hinges. 

He cursed and howled, and then decided to do his business anyway. He cackled when Kioku passed the threshold and averted her eyes.

She heard water running in the sink and made quick work of hefting Ryou to her shoulders. Before she could snap them away from that place, Bakura slid a pale, muscular arm around her waist.

His warm lips were moving, his breath steamy, at her ear.

"Let me make myself perfectly clear: you belong to me whether you like it or not."

Ryou was thrown from her shoulders to the floor. Kioku's dress found itself around her ankles before she could draw in breath. She whisked it back up and glared, but not before Bakura's eyes had glazed over.

Bakura caught hold of her arm and drew her close.

"You belong to me... say it... I want to hear you say that you are mine..."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ooh... I'm not sure how I should continue this... ideas welcome! ;~)

Flames will be used to burn... uh... who haven't I used?!

Oh, yeh... Kemo. You know, Pegasus' main bodyguard guy? No, not the head of security, that's Croquet. I'll burn him in chapter seven.

Okay... flames will be used to burn Kemo, because I hate his snotty attitude, not to mention his hair! It's like Tristan gone haywire (but Tristan is cool. I'm just giving you an idea).

All: ^_^° *sweatdrop*


	7. Itsu Anata no Kokoro no naka de Hoho

Chapter 7

__

Itsu Anata no Kokoro no naka de Hoho ... When Your Heart Is In The Way

"Wrong," a rich tenor replied from the open door, a voice that Kioku never thought she'd be so glad to hear in the midst of something like this, "She belongs to me."

_And I do_, Kioku thought in the rush of exhilaration that followed his statement. Bakura shrieked and disappeared, and Kioku slowly turned to gaze into those deep amethyst eyes.

Neither saw the other; both Yami and Kioku were seeing a day 5 millennia in the past. They saw who they once were, Pharaoh and dancer, and who they could be. They saw their destiny.

Kioku's dress was shorn and her ebony hair mussed, but she'd never looked as beautiful to a Pharaoh who'd never before known love. Yami's clothes looked like he'd slept in them and his hair was unkempt, but his eyes still flashed the way that made Kioku's blood sing through her veins and his arms were still as strong as they reached out to tentatively draw her close. 

Ryou coughed in his unconscious stupor on the floor; Yami blinked and with a flush rising to his tanned cheeks stepped back. Kioku snapped her fingers to fix her dress and the fire in her mahogany eyes dimmed.

She turned away from the Pharaoh in the doorway and once again gathered Ryou into her arms. She snapped her fingers and was instantly standing in front of Domino Grand Central Hospital. Unloading her pale burden at the desk of the emergency wing, she smiled sadly as he was whisked away. Then with a flick of her wrist, she was gone.

Yami remained standing in the doorway long after Kioku left, staring at the stained floor and trying to hold back unwanted tears. He didn't even really know why he was crying.

_Oh, yes... I've never been rejected before... as the Pharaoh I could demand a person's attentions... but not their love. And now that I'm dealing with love, I'm totally unprepared... _He blinked and his crystalline tears flickered into the gloom of the house. _But is love supposed to hurt this much? I feel torn, exposed, like I'm laying in the desert, dying, with gashes in my chest made by some dark beast... _

He sighed a little, then turned and walked away. His shoulders remained rigid, his walk purposeful. But those were just left over habits from his life as Pharaoh. 

Inside, he was broken down and sobbing. Inside, he was heartbroken.

_What is wrong, Kioku? Why are you not with the young boy who holds the Millennium puzzle? Kioku!_

Kioku tried to ignore Shadi's mental cries but found she could not. He could will her to speak and was doing so. 

_I ran into some trouble with the Sennen ring,_ she said bluntly as she walked down the sidewalk. The park next to her was aglow with street lamps as dusk found the city.

_The Millennium Ring?_ Shadi's surprise was evident. _Who is in possession of it?_

A boy. Ryou. Kioku saw Ryou's pale face smiling at her with wide brown eyes and his sweet shy smile, and a solitary tear made its lonely way down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away.

__

A boy? Who is the spirit trapped within?

A tomb robber. Bakura.

Bakura... Shadi's 'voice' took on a tone of disgust. _Arrogant fool._

Kioku allowed herself a small laugh at this. Yes, he most certainly is.

_The boy— Yugi— leaves for Duelist Kingdom in three days. You should visit him tonight._

_Yes, master._ Kioku nodded her head unconsciously, even though Shadi was thousands of miles away.

Shadi's evident smile colored his 'voice'. _Don't call me master, my friend, I am but a Guardian._

Kioku smiled sadly once again before closing the mental connection.

Thinking of Shadi and his undeniable control over her and the rest of her kind, she sneered. _Lie all you want._

Snapping her graceful fingers, she walked two more steps and stood in front of the Motos' game shop.

From inside she could hear shouts of dismay, and some sort of pounding. Snapping herself inside, she stumbled from the shock at what lay before her. 

Solomon Moto lay on the floor, his eyes wide and staring_. Like those of a soulless being,_ Kioku realized with a jolt of sudden dread. Yugi knelt in front of the television screen, yelling incoherently at the snowy picture with his small fists beating uselessly against its sides. Joey, Tristan, and Tea stared first at their friend, then at the non-responsive Mr. Moto in alarm, dismay, and confusion. It was evident to Kioku what had happened.

__

Someone sent Yugi a video tape rigged to transfer the watcher to the Shadow Realm, then stole Solomon's soul. But then why is Yugi's deck strewn across the floor? Perhaps... a Shadow Duel?

Tea was the first to notice the card sprite lingering in the background, lost in her own thoughts. The brunette glared and spoke. 

"What are you doing here? I don't recall anyone inviting you in."

"Tea!" Tristan exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

"Yeh, Tea," Joey chimed in. Shaking his head, he stood and strode over to extend a hand to Kioku, who took it. Joey grinned. "I'm Joey. Don't mind Tea there, she's usually not so bad. The spike-haired trench coat doof ball over there is Tristan, annnn.... that's Yugi yellin' at the TV. Hey, Yug', whatcha doin'?"

Yugi turned to him and Kioku started backwards at the sight of his angelic face shining with tears. 

"Grandpa's gone! Pegasus stole his soul through that video tape, and now I have to go to Duelist Kingdom. I have to win his soul back."

Joey blinked once. Twice. "Wha— what?!"

Tristan echoed his best friend. "Gramps is... gone?"

"Who does Pegasus think he is, anyway?" Tea raged.

"He is the creator of Duel Monsters, and vessel to the Sennen eye."

All eyes turned to Kioku, who stood slightly apart from Joey with a small smile on her face.

Tea continued. "He can't just swoop in here and steal someone's soul! That's— that's—!"

"I know how you feel," Kioku agreed. Her mind was a landscape of turmoil and regret. _I could have saved him. If I hadn't lingered so long with Bakura, if I hadn't stopped and listened to my heart... who would have thought I even had a heart, let alone one so easily broken? All these years I have aided duelists without a second thought, watched people come and go by the masses and never batted an eye. But now... now, when I should have been strongest, unexpected love brings me to my knees..._

"I could have saved him," she murmured. Joey looked at her in surprise.

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me, right?" He looked at her in all seriousness. She shook her head, feeling tears begin to form once more behind her eyes.

"I have the power, the skills and assets needed. But because I was weak, and let Yugi out of my sight..."

Joey's hands slid on to her shoulders, causing her to lift her head. Stony mahogany eyes, softened by tears, reluctantly met warm chocolate ones. _His eyes are beautiful,_ she caught herself thinking.

He smiled, and her heart thudded painfully. He spoke, serious. "There was nothin' ya could have done. He mighta taken you instead!"

"That would have been bette—," she began to say, but he cut her off.

"No. Don't you start thinkin' like that. What's happened's happened, and now we gotta focus on what's gonna happen. Like how we're gonna get Grampa's soul back. Ya can help with that, if ya really want to."

She tore herself from his grasp almost reluctantly. _What is going on with me?_ She growled at herself. _One day I am comfortably aloof to men, the next I want them all?!_

"I could have saved him. Only, I was weak..."

"Don't let me hear you say that, Kioku."

She sighed, a small gust which turned into a howl of rage. "Yami, you don't understand! I've failed! Failed you, failed Yugi, failed Grandpa, failed, failed, failed! And don't think that I don't thank you for what you said, Joey, but it really doesn't matter. I'll be punished for this all the same."

"Punished?!" There was a note close to panic in Yami's voice.

"Yes," she replied tiredly, her shoulders slumping. "Punished. That is what happens when I fail. And that is what will always be."

A tender warmth surrounded her, and she sagged in his arms. Now, when she desperately needed their release, her tears would not come.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As promised, flames will be used to burn Croquet, that evil gray-haired snit who runs Pegasus' security team. He makes me angry. Torch 'im.

Review!!!!!!


	8. Kokoro no Kioku

The Card Sprite

Chapter Eight

__

Kokoro no Kioku ... A Heart of Memories

Kioku sat with her head on her knees, said knees pulled up closely to her chest. Her hair whipped about in the maverick breeze, and she sighed. She was perched upon the roof of the Turtle Game Shop, having been to distracted and emotional to sleep. She watched the sun as it lazily climbed over the roofs of the sleeping city. It reminded her of Egypt, that sun, in all of its heat and redness and dry flame. A sob caught in her throat, but she suppressed it with a cough. Homesick she was, but strong she could be. And strong she was. She would not cry for Egypt. It wasn't going anywhere, and she'd see it again when she had fulfilled her duty and retrieved Solomon Moto's soul from Maxamillian Pegasus.

Pegasus... she recalled seeing the silver-haired man once before... or twice, was it not? Once when he followed Shadi into the crypt and received the Sennen eye, and then again when he collapsed on her door step a short year later. And all of this trouble had been caused because the eye had accepted him. Should she have acted on instincts and thrown him from the crypt before he even received the cursed item, perhaps none of this would have happened. But sitting perched upon the rooftop of her little charge's house, she sternly reminded herself not to live in the past. _What happens has happened_, she thought. _Do what you can to change what _will_ happen, and do not dwell on what _has_ happened._

She smiled tiredly, pushing a few stray strands of onyx hair from her eyes. The teasing wind soon tore them into view again, and soon she gave up trying to control them. 

Not two days ago, her world once again spun from her grasp. Chaos ensued after Pegasus stole away Solomon Moto's soul. Kioku sighed for what must have been the thirty-thousandth time. Yami yawned, watching her.

He had heard her soft footsteps climb out her window and tread across the gravel shingles, heard her muttered oath when she sat on the hem of her dress and nearly choked herself. He watched her profile from before dawn until sunrise and still she made no motion except to sigh. Still, she fascinated him. 

He had an inkling as to why he was so captivated by her. Memories, surfacing from a nearly forgotten age, told him she had once been a normal teenage girl...

*~*~*

Yami was bored. He sat slumped in his throne, drumming his fingers absently on its ornate sides, sighing every few moments. His advisors ground their teeth at his most obvious annoyance, but what could they do? He was, after all, the Pharaoh, and whether or not he embarrassed himself in front of visiting nobles was his decision. 

__

That's right, Yami grinned inwardly as he watched his advisors, his puppets, scurry about dredging up last-minute entertainment_. I can do what I damn well please and you are forced, by law and tradition, to agree with me._

The visiting nobles, whose name Yami had quite conveniently forgotten, had brought along their young son. He was about Yami's age but seemed to be captivated by every little thing. Yami suspected he was a little slow, but didn't dislike the child or his sire for it. If anything he made sure to be a bit more benevolent than usual when speaking to any member of this particular household, lest the boy be listening or watching. With children like that, anything they observed would be absorbed then spat back out in a variety of different ways. Yami tried to make sure the boy saw nothing but good and wonderful things. 

The head of their house, a tallish man with a severe mustache and receding hairline, was looking rather impatient. He began tapping his foot as he sat, but then noticed Yami watching him and forced a quick, unconvincing smile.

Suddenly, coverings were placed over all the windows, and candles were lit. Incense wafted through the air, and Yami could see the boy's eyes became half-lidded with drowsiness. The Pharaoh nodded, giving the servants unspoken orders to take the child and his mother to their quarters. She went willingly, carrying the boy and hissing thanks as she filed past the throne.

As soon as the great doors shut behind the woman, the candles were extinguished. Yami leapt to his feet in alarm, only to stare in amazement as torches were simultaneously lit with a sinuous chord from hidden musicians.

A lone dancer stood in the middle of the torch-lit chamber, her feet together and her head bowed slightly. The music seemed to tug at her, and she swayed a little. Then one chord seemed to stick out from the flow of the music, and her arm jerked up, her hand still dangling like that of a puppet. Then another chord, and her other arm struck another awkward puppet's pose. The music proceeded to lead the girl through a complicated series of poses, ending in her total collapse. Just like a child's puppet, a wooden plaything left behind.

Yami slowly returned to his seat, mesmerized by the slender form before him. He didn't spare a glance in the nobleman's direction but knew the man was just as slack-jawed as he himself was. And probably glad that his wife and son were safety out of the room.

A slow Egyptian beat filled the room, and the girl picked herself up. Slowly, as though in a trance, she began to perform the most intricate set of maneuvers Yami had ever seen. His eyes, he figured, were wide enough to fill meat platters, but they grew wider still as the music swelled and began to race. 

The girl kicked and spun, her arms pointing about and her torso gyrating with the exhilarating music. At the last chord and crash of symbols Yami found her down on one knee, her other leg struck out gracefully behind her and her arms in a spellcaster's pose pointed directly at his chest. Her fiery eyes seemed to burn through his soul. 

Before he could even breathe, the torches were extinguished once more. When the coverings were removed, the room was found to be empty save for a few shell-shocked servants and the nobleman. The noble's face had turned the color of curdled milk. Yami laughed a little, not bothering to hide his humor from his guest. The man probably hadn't had that kind of pleasure in a long, long while.

Yami, after the noble had shakily taken his leave, hissed to his major domo, "Who was that girl?"

The man, visibly frightened, shrugged a little. "We do not know, sire. Her mother shoved her in here when we were discussing the entertainment situation, and then yanked her out just as quickly. Shall I organize a search?"

Yami shook his head, annoyed. "No. But if anything like that happens again, at least find out her name!"

The major domo nodded shakily, then hastily backed out of his Pharaoh's presence.

A fortnight later, on the eve of an illustrious banquet, the lead dancer suddenly took ill with a violent fever. Yami was not told until an hour before the guests were to begin arriving. His rage was unprecedented and severe.

After he calmed down a bit, the major domo whispered, "There is a woman in the courtyard to talk with you, my lord."

Yami cocked his head in surprise, and then went into the courtyard to find a solitary townswoman, hooded and cloaked. When she removed her hood, Yami was shocked to see the same face of the dancer who had so captivated him.

And yet... this woman had a white scare running from her forehead to her chin, puckering her cheek. There had been no such crease in the dancer's skin. Her mother, perhaps?

In the common language, she said quickly, "Watashi no musume desho dansu no tame ni anata, Yami-san." *My daughter will dance for you, Yami.*

Then she turned and walked away, another hooded and cloaked figure taking her place just as swiftly. This time, when the hood was drawn back, Yami was standing in front of that mysterious dancer. Her stony eyes seemed once again to bore into his soul. His heart thudded against his chest, and he wondered why. _She is beautiful,_ his mind breathed, but then he was called in to receive his guests and left the girl to his major domo. Her eyes followed his back. He shuddered as he walked away, wiping a bead of sweat from his tanned forehead.

The dance that night was the same as it had been for the noble, and yet though he knew the dance, Yami could not make his eyes leave her gyrating form. And this time, when the dance ended, though her features remained solemn, her eyes seemed to smile at him. Unconsciously he smiled back.

After the dinner, when Yami had finally managed to disentangle himself from the guests, she was of course gone. But a small charm had been left on the garden seat near where her mother had appeared, along with a crudely written note. Yami read the note and, smiling slightly, returned to his guests.

*~*~*

Yami pulled the yellowed parchment, crinkled with use and age, from the pocket of his blue school jacket. It read: _Watashi ni zokusuru anata ima._ I belong to you now. He smiled sadly at the slight irony. She had written that nearly 5,000 years ago, and now she did not even remember having written it, much less all of the dances she had given solely to him. She did not remember that night when they'd first come in contact with one another, and she did not remember the war.

Yami had no way of knowing how wrong he was. Kioku not only painfully remembered every day she had spent with the young Pharaoh, she remembered the war as well. The memories of the Sennen War dug into her heart with icy fingers and refused to be forgotten. Yes, she even remembered that stupid note that, on impulse, she'd left that handsome yet heartless boy. Did she regret it? Not yet. But did she think she would have been better off without doing it? Most likely.

*~*~*

Yami had finished his daily duties, which had, that day, included tallying up the responses from the storehouses and figuring their supplies. Boring work, but somebody had to do it, and his was the only mind in the palace capable of figuring such sums.

A sigh escaped his lips, and he slumped dejectedly in his chair. He was in the small room off of the throne room, one he had jokingly labeled his 'study'. It was a storage room, really, one that had been hastily furnished when Yami expressed his need for a room where he could work in peace.

He heard the door open and close with quiet snicks but did not move, instead training his senses on the person he knew to be within his sanctuary. He smelled a sweet scent teasing his nose, a faint whiff of roses upon the barely moving air. 

Small yet strong hands gripped his shoulders and before he could move, began to massage them. A groan tore itself loose from his throat as the hands worked. By Ra, it felt... good. And he knew at last where he'd smelled that scent before.

"You."

"Shh."

The hands moved to his lower back, forcing themselves between the chair and his aching muscles. He arched his back when they struck an extremely sensitive nerve in his lower back, and gasped. He could sense her smile, and growled slightly. All this massaging was arousing him, and he would either tell her to stop or show her why she should stop. He began to turn around—

Only he knew by the time he'd gotten out of his chair that she was gone. Just like a faint hint of faraway music on the wind, she'd come, pleasured him, and left before anything serious could happen. He felt a strange ache in his chest and found himself wondering, _will she come back?_

*~*~*

Yami's fingers on the smooth eye-of-Ra pendant slipped, and the golden trinket went skittering across the roof. Kioku jerked around at the slight sound, and gasped when she scooped it up. Yami had ducked out of sight, but her throaty voice still reached him.

"You— you still have this?"

A hint of dry humor colored her tone. "You didn't sell it, or give it away to some child as a pretty bauble?"

Yami reappeared from behind the curtains, ducking out of the window to stand behind her. "I said I would keep it.

"And a Pharaoh of Egypt, my lady Kioku, is always true to his word."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yee! Fun! 

Reviews are much appreciated, and flames will just burn. I ran out of sacrifices.

X~P Dead tired. Need sleep. Goodnight.


	9. Shukumei Deru E Asobi Toki

The Card Sprite ... Chapter Nine  
  
Shukumei Deru E Asobi Toki ... When Fate Comes Out To Play  
  
Kioku stared into Yami's sincere amethyst eyes. She was at a loss for words, and so, with the rays of the rising sun illuminating her body, she began to dance.  
  
They were still standing on the rooftop, and Yami was tense to catch her should she slip. But her movements were precise and her footing was sure.  
  
It wasn't the dance she had given him in the presence of the noble, but the dance she had hesitantly and rigidly given him in his own private chamber. Her mother had died, and Kioku had come to be a dancer at the palace in hopes of a better life than that on the streets. The High Priest, seeing her talent and beauty, had sent her into the Pharaoh's chamber as nighttime 'entertainment'. She had been frightened out of her mind.  
  
*****  
  
"What's this?" Yami asked softly, so as not to frighten her. He neither expected nor recieved an answer. She simply began to dance.  
  
The young Pharaoh was captivated, but he could see through his haze of lust that she was terrified and didn't try anything. He knew that in order to (perhaps!) win her heart, he first had to win her trust.  
  
Why am I suddenly caring for hearts and trust? He asked himself crossly. I never cared before... I am Pharaoh, I can take what I want when and how I want it without anyone to tell me otherwise!  
  
What is happening to me?  
  
Kioku as she danced could sense the Pharaoh's lust, and didn't understand why he didn't act upon it. I was told he would take me the minute he saw me, as he has with countless others. Why is he waiting? Why does he not just do the terrible deed and let me go to cry in peace?  
  
The room was lit with scented candles and their smoky essence only made Kioku seem more and more like a dream. Yami saw through half-lidded eyes that the girl wore almost nothing at all, and he knew who had sent her. That High Priest of mine better not have touched her, or he'll be sent to the Shadow Realm...  
  
The smoke and incense clouded Kioku's mind and eyes; she began to forget what she was doing. She briefly, foggily, realized that there must be some kind of airborne eikyo in the incense before she lost her balance and fell with a cry.  
  
She remained huddled on the floor, her senses temporarily cleared in her sudden fright. She had fallen, had made a mistake, in front of the Pharaoh. He'd killed for less.  
  
Nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.  
  
The Pharaoh, dressed simply in loose muslin pants, stood and walked towards her. She averted her eyes in shame and hugged herself to try and stop her shaking.  
  
Yami's eyes crinkled in concern, and he fervently hoped she hadn't been hurt. He, too, suspected an influence in the incense. He knew that had been the reason for her fall.  
  
His hands on her tensed shoulders brought her head up and a gasp from her lips. Her eyes went wide and she froze.  
  
"I am sorry," Yami said, not quite realizing he was saying it, "that you had to be subjected to this."  
  
Kioku's eyes dropped once again in shame. "I have disappointed you."  
  
Yami placed two fingers beneath her chin to lift it, causing their eyes to meet. When amazed mahogany met gentle amethyst, the two jerked at the shock.  
  
"No," Yami replied. "You could never be a disappointment."  
  
And, standing, he raised her to her own feet and gently embraced her. The feel of his bare chest against the soft material of her barely decent coverings nearly drove him wild but he was determined not to do a Ra-damned thing.  
  
Kioku, however, kept expecting to be killed. She felt his chest heave against hers at the contact and wondered again why he was holding back. Is he afraid to hurt me? She thought, then shook her head a little. No, he has never been afraid to hurt before. There must be something else.  
  
Yami was the one who broke the embrace and then before Kioku could speak, he quickly turned away. "Go," he said, and she thought she heard a catch in his voice. His shoulders were shaking slightly... or was the smoke simply playing tricks on her eyes?  
  
She placed a small hand on his shoulder and felt his slight jolt at her touch. "Are... you all right?" She asked, her voice a mere whisper.  
  
Yami sighed. "I will be. Go now, child."  
  
Kioku nodded, although he couldn't see her, and backed out of the room.  
  
Alone in the smoky room once more, the young Pharaoh threw himself upon the bed and wept.  
  
*****  
  
Now once more he felt tears welling in his eyes at the memory, and once more he turned away. But this time, Kioku wasn't going to leave.  
  
"My Pharaoh..." She began. He waved a hand at her, not wanting to turn around.  
  
"My aibou will be late for school. We're leaving."  
  
She nodded, although he couldn't see. "Very well. Come straight home, little Yugi, for we muct catch the ship to Duelist Kingdom tonight! And you wouldn't want to be unprepared."  
  
Yugi, now in control, turned and beamed at her. His innocent wine-colored eyes sent a grin to Kioku's lips as well. "Yes, Kioku-san."  
  
She laughed, then snapped her fingers and disappeared.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*  
  
I sorry, it short.  
  
I just felt like I should at least update, I've been having writer's block.  
  
Reviews would be much appreciated. I want to know what you people think!  
  
Ki: No one read Those Dreams of Power... toldja it was stupid.  
  
Kestrel: It isn't stupid, you twit, they just aren't reviewing!  
  
Ki: Yeh, I'm a twit.  
  
Kestrel: Shut it, you. 


	10. Keikaku Akeru

The Card Sprite

Ch. 10: _Keikaku Akeru ... Plans Unfold_

Kioku's padded footfalls on the plush carpeted floor released the faint scent of carpet cleaner. She didn't bother wasting energy to blanket the security cameras; she knew that whatever guards there were would simply watch her in drooling silence and leave her to her business.

Which was exactly what she needed. 

She made her way over to the computer console. It didn't even faze her that this was **Seto Kaiba's** office, nor that the penalty upon discovery was a fate worse than death. No, Kioku needed information and the best way to get at it was through the Kaiba Corp. mainframe. 

Which she could only access from Seto Kaiba's personal computer. 

She smiled at the password box and typed in a few commands. The firewalls faded, and warnings began to pop up. 

Kioku sat, grinned, flexed her fingers.

The hacker was about to get hacked.

*****

Seto Kaiba's head jerked up, nearly making a dent in the ceiling of the limousine. "Something's wrong at the office," he whispered. "We need to go back."

Mokuba turned to face him and wrinkled his nose. "You know that little voice in your head—"

"Which one?"

"—screaming 'Seto GET A LIFE FOR KAMI'S SAKE? Time to listen to him."

Seto cocked his head to the side, like he was indeed listening to a faint voice. "I don't hear anything."

Mokuba looked artistically distraught. "You killed him! That's it," he growled, grabbing his brother's sleeve. "You need fun. Now."

"But the meeting—" Seto protested to no avail. Mokuba tapped on the glass partition and spoke to the chauffeur. 

"To... aw, gee, where would Seto have fun? ...Kaiba Land! Go to Kaiba Land!"

"Erm, little bro... isn't that a bit redundant?"

Mokuba turned once more to his brother. "Of course not. And I'm dueling you best two out of three!"

_Or sixty-two out of sixty-three,_ Seto mentally grumbled. The CEO of Kaiba Corp. collapsed against the inside wall of the limo and sighed. So much for his day.

*****

A scant five minutes later Kioku had slipped into the Kaiba Corporation mainframe. _I prefer slipped or snuck to hacked_, she mused as she browsed through panels and panels of information. _Slipped sounds sneaky, whereas hacked sounds like something a serial killer might do. Or a cannibal. Or—aha!_

Quickly clicking on the file, she read it twice to memorize it and then closed the browser window. She'd stew over it later when she had no chance of getting caught.

Blowing a jaunty kiss at the security camera, Kioku winked, snapped, and disappeared.

Behind the security screen, Bakura sat perched atop a dead guard and mused about a certain young card sprite. A demonic plan was forming, something Ryou didn't like but that he had no control over.

__

And she will be mine, make no mistake. Whether it is her decision... or mine...

()()()()

Yeh, Bakura's about to get a whole lot darker, scarier, and eviler. More evil? Is eviler a word?


End file.
